sprinklesofspooky's review against another edition
5.0
**First of all, let me say that I am absolutely heartbroken about the passing of Rachel Caine. This series has been amazing, and I’ve loved every single book. I cherished being able to read one more Stillhouse Lake book, and one more Rachel Caine novel. Cancer is awful, and it definitely took this brilliant author far too soon. Rachel, you will be missed, but your words are an amazing legacy, and your characters will live on in the hearts of your fans.**
This is another heart-pounding addition to the Stillhouse Lake series, and it’s so great to see the return of Gwen!
“They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.
A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.
On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.
As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.”
I loved this, absolutely loved this. Fans of the series, this is a no-brainer. You MUST read it.
For anyone that has been sleeping on Stillhouse Lake, you have until this book comes out in March to do yourself a favor and catch up!
This is a five star thrill ride, and a must read for fans of suspense.
*Huge thanks to NetGalley, the brilliant and late Rachel Caine, and the publisher for the chance to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.*
This is another heart-pounding addition to the Stillhouse Lake series, and it’s so great to see the return of Gwen!
“They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.
A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.
On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.
As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.”
I loved this, absolutely loved this. Fans of the series, this is a no-brainer. You MUST read it.
For anyone that has been sleeping on Stillhouse Lake, you have until this book comes out in March to do yourself a favor and catch up!
This is a five star thrill ride, and a must read for fans of suspense.
*Huge thanks to NetGalley, the brilliant and late Rachel Caine, and the publisher for the chance to review this eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.*
annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Heartbreak Bay is the 5th Stillhouse Lake procedural thriller by Rachel Caine. Due out 9th March 2021 from Amazon on their Thomas & Mercer imprint, it's 335 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
This was a well written book with an engaging protagonist and very well built up scenery and an undeniable sense of place. Ms. Caine writes very capably and the setting was very real for me throughout. Although this is the 5th book in the series, I had no trouble reading it as a standalone book or keeping track of the characters and understanding their relationships with one another secondary to the plot.
My only problems came from the graphic brutality and on-page violence. This is, admittedly, clearly marketed as a procedural serial killer thriller - I'm definitely not placing the blame elsewhere than my own curiosity in picking it up. The writing and pacing are quite good, the plotting and narrative arc move along at a solid pace, and the climax and denouement were tension filled and scary. I think the elements which were drawbacks for me personally will be counted as advantages for fans of the genre.
Scary and tense but well written. Four stars. I would recommend it for fans of Thomas Harris, Kendra Elliot, Jeffrey Deaver, and John Sandford. *brr*.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Heartbreak Bay is the 5th Stillhouse Lake procedural thriller by Rachel Caine. Due out 9th March 2021 from Amazon on their Thomas & Mercer imprint, it's 335 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
This was a well written book with an engaging protagonist and very well built up scenery and an undeniable sense of place. Ms. Caine writes very capably and the setting was very real for me throughout. Although this is the 5th book in the series, I had no trouble reading it as a standalone book or keeping track of the characters and understanding their relationships with one another secondary to the plot.
My only problems came from the graphic brutality and on-page violence. This is, admittedly, clearly marketed as a procedural serial killer thriller - I'm definitely not placing the blame elsewhere than my own curiosity in picking it up. The writing and pacing are quite good, the plotting and narrative arc move along at a solid pace, and the climax and denouement were tension filled and scary. I think the elements which were drawbacks for me personally will be counted as advantages for fans of the genre.
Scary and tense but well written. Four stars. I would recommend it for fans of Thomas Harris, Kendra Elliot, Jeffrey Deaver, and John Sandford. *brr*.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
*I received a free review copy of Heartbreak Bay. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review which is honest and unbiased.*
Heartbreak Bay brings more of everything I've come to expect from the Stillhouse Lake novels. There is more suspense. There is more heartache. There is more danger. There is more friendship. There is more love. Most of all, there's more hope - even when everything appears hopeless.
Caine is a master at this, and I'm sure she's spent a lot of time on research. Everything just sounds so very true. I firmly believe in Gwen, Sam, Lanny, Connor, Vee, Kez, Javier and all the other characters. They're all extremely well fleshed out. And in Heartbreak Bay, I got the pleasure of some new points of view as well - and this made me a very happy reader.
The way this story unfolds is like a red thread inside of a puzzle inside of one of those boxes that's impossible to open. There's always something going on that I couldn't fully get a grasp on, and thus, my excitement while reading was never ending.
You should pre-order this book right now! It's excellent, and one of my favorite reads of 2020, as well as one of my all time favorite reads.
Heartbreak Bay brings more of everything I've come to expect from the Stillhouse Lake novels. There is more suspense. There is more heartache. There is more danger. There is more friendship. There is more love. Most of all, there's more hope - even when everything appears hopeless.
Caine is a master at this, and I'm sure she's spent a lot of time on research. Everything just sounds so very true. I firmly believe in Gwen, Sam, Lanny, Connor, Vee, Kez, Javier and all the other characters. They're all extremely well fleshed out. And in Heartbreak Bay, I got the pleasure of some new points of view as well - and this made me a very happy reader.
The way this story unfolds is like a red thread inside of a puzzle inside of one of those boxes that's impossible to open. There's always something going on that I couldn't fully get a grasp on, and thus, my excitement while reading was never ending.
You should pre-order this book right now! It's excellent, and one of my favorite reads of 2020, as well as one of my all time favorite reads.
katekate_reads_'s review against another edition
4.0
I’ve really loved this series so much! I highly recommend reading it from the start - it grows and builds and I love the way we’ve seen the characters change as the series goes on.
I think the best part of this series is that the central premise is around something we haven’t gotten to see much. At the beginning of the first book Gwen learns that her husband has been a serial killer. She had no idea what was going on in her own house. We are used to seeing that happen at the end of a story - but this is unique because we get it as the beginning. And instead of the story being about how her husband was caught - it’s about what happens next for Gwen and their kids.
Sadly, the author Rachel Caine passed away before this book was published. I feel like this was a great ending to the series and I highly recommend it to any thriller fans.
Thank you to Brilliance Audio for the advance listening copy.
I think the best part of this series is that the central premise is around something we haven’t gotten to see much. At the beginning of the first book Gwen learns that her husband has been a serial killer. She had no idea what was going on in her own house. We are used to seeing that happen at the end of a story - but this is unique because we get it as the beginning. And instead of the story being about how her husband was caught - it’s about what happens next for Gwen and their kids.
Sadly, the author Rachel Caine passed away before this book was published. I feel like this was a great ending to the series and I highly recommend it to any thriller fans.
Thank you to Brilliance Audio for the advance listening copy.
gina1223's review against another edition
3.75
Very fast pace and I was glad to finally have more of Kezia! Not my absolute favorite but it was a good listen
everlywright's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
justab00kl0v1ngg1rl's review against another edition
4.0
I was given a free ARC for my review on NetGallery .I really enjoyed this series of books, as much as you can enjoy reading about evil and twisted psychopaths
kyleesapp's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
denaiir's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not too sad that it was the last one actually, all these people targeting Gwen and her family was becoming more and more unbelievable, I would have prfered the family to be main characters but not directly linked to the perpetrators after the first books with Melvin
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
christiansenmy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0